ESPN to debut new Sunday Sports schedule from 15 January

January 3, 2012   ·   0 Comments

ESPN are introducing a new live Sunday sports and studio programming schedule running for nearly nine hours from 1:45pm until 10:30pm each week, with live coverage of multiple sporting events, all with pre-and post-match studio shows.

The Milan Derby – between AC Milan and Inter Milan – and programming around it will feature as a part of the new schedule on the first Sunday.

Surrounding ESPN’s live coverage of key football and rugby from the UK and Europe will be a new line-up of studio programming including goals, match previews and analysis, discussion, guest interviews and more. The schedule will introduce new live pre- and post-match studio programmes for its Bundesliga and Serie A live matches as well as ESPN’s existing pre-and post-match studio presentation of its coverage of the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, and Aviva Premiership Rugby.

In addition to the enhanced pre- and post-match studio programmes ESPN’s new Sunday sports day will include a re-focused version of ESPN’s weekly studio show Talk Of The Terrace (moving from Monday nights) that will look back at the week’s Premier League and FA Cup action, provide expert analysis (including tactical analysis utilising ESPN Arena), interviews and fan feedback via social media.

Throughout the day, each programme will feed directly to the next, providing a full day of live sport and studio programming.

ESPN’s live Sunday sport coverage will vary from week to week depending on schedules, but will often be anchored by multiple live football matches from around Europe and the UK, including action from some combination of the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup, Italian Serie A, the German Bundesliga, Clydesdale Bank Premier League and more. That will be joined some weekends by other live sports coverage including Aviva Premiership and Top 14 Ruby, WRC and more.

“Weekends are at the heart of the weekly sports agenda, and are often when ESPN features more live sport and reaches the biggest number of UK fans,” said Jeroen Oerlemans, vice president and channel manager, ESPN – Europe, Middle East and Africa. “This new schedule allows us to bring viewers a great blend of quality live sport, studio discussion and analysis from an outstanding roster of presenters, pundits and guests throughout the afternoon and evening each Sunday.”

The exact lineup of ESPN’s new Sundays will change from week to week based on the weekend’s live sports coverage, but the schedule for 15 January is set to include :

• 1:45pm – LIVE SERIE A – JUVENTUS v CAGLIARI:  Immediately following live coverage of Lazio v Atalanta, ESPN’s Nat Coombs and guests present live coverage of the Serie A match between Juventus and Cagliari, with pre-match, halftime and post-match studio analysis plus goals from other Serie A matches
• 4:15pm – LIVE BUNDESLIGA STUDIO: ESPN presenter Kelly Cates is joined by guests to present a live studio wrap up of the Bundesliga season so far, with live studio analysis and discussion, plus video of the day’s action from around Germany’s top league
• 6:45pm – TALK OF THE TERRACE: Kelly Cates is joined by guests to look back at all of the weekend’s Premier League or FA Cup action and discuss the biggest topics on the domestic football landscape, as well as expert technical analysis using ESPN Arena, ESPN’s virtual reality analysis tool that brings match plays and players to life, plus, interviews and integration of fan opinions via social media
• 7:15pm – LIVE SERIE A – AC MILAN v INTER MILAN:  Mark Chapman and a guest present live studio match presentation of the Milan Derby, as well and provide a round-up of the weekend’s Serie A action
• 10:00pm – PARDON THE INTERRUPTION (PTI):  Mark Chapman and Steve Bunce discuss the hottest issues in sports, in a fast-paced debate format based on the original Emmy Award-winning US format

Tags: Bundesliga, ESPN, Jeroen Oerlemans, Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman, Serie A